Just A Doll
by Kaiser Greedy
Summary: For Shigeo, dealing with a bunch of self-serving jerks, gullible powerful idiots and creepy ghosts is something that he often can do with no problem. It's quite something else trying to get a particular weirdo to like you for an old friend's sake… Eventually Shigeo/OC, but slow-burn
1. 1 Simple Favor

**Well this will be quite an interesting journey as it shall be my first attempt at writing anything related to romance.**

 **A small warning: while it begins with a light-hearted tone, this story will eventually delve into some darker themes in later chapters that will probably make several people feel uncomfortable upon reading, so I do ask that you guys do proceed with caution.**

 **Other then that, please enjoy.**

 **Edit: For those wondering why I changed the title, I just thought that this one would be more appropriate(and less confusing) for the audience's sake.**

* * *

Typically, on an average sunny day, Shigeo Kageyama would always take the pathway that laid on his school's right to get back home.

It was a much shorter and pleasant path for any student to take; its' tall trees provided a decent amount of protection from the bright warm sun that loom high above them and it of course offered a wonderful view of the nearby river that connected the multiple urban sections of the city.

Plus, it did help remove an extra ten minutes that it would have taken for the fifteen-year-old middle schooler to reach his small neighbourhood.

But, if one were to directly ask the young teen why he frequently took this path every day after school, none of these answers would have been the correct one.

Instead the boy, while maintaining his famed dull(and somewhat gloomy) expression, would calmly reply that it was simply an old habit that he had accidently pick up during his youth when he and his younger brother Ritsu would occasionally use the route as a quick and easy shortcut to reach the joyous wonderland that was the local playground during the summer breaks.

The playground in question was nothing to gawk at of course. It wasn't very large in size or held any memorable features that could catch an energetic child's attention. Most of its' equipment was already beginning to rust rapidly due to a lack of any proper maintenance on the city's part and it unfortunately always carried a nasty smell that came from…well some unexpected visitors passing through.

But for someone such as Shigeo who held enough nostalgic memories to reflect upon on all the wonderful times that he had spent those long summer days playing with his brother and childhood crush, Tsubomi, this old pitiful playground would always hold a special place within his heart…

"Something the matter?"

"Hmmm?"

Slowly, his eyes shifted toward Teru, who happened to be sitting right next to him upon one of the old wooden benches that stood near the small sand box of the park.

"Something the matter?" The blonde hair boy repeated, his face held a look of concern for his friend, "Ever since we arrive here, you keep shifting your eyes all over the place as if there was something troubling you."

"…"

"Come on, just spit it out."

"No, everything's alright, it's-"

"Oh, don't be like that, Kageyama."

Shigeo couldn't help but flinch slightly upon hearing his friend's quick (if rather blunt) response. Teru's shape eyes stared intensively back at him, almost as if they were trying to guess the type of thoughts were coursing through the young teen's mind,

"Just say what's on your mind." Immediately, a warm smile soon appeared upon Teru's face, one encouraging his close friend to open up and share whatever secrets laid dominant within his heart, "There's no need to shy about it."

"…It's a bit lonely here, don't you think?"

"Hmmm?"

It was a bit hard for him to express his thoughts but… for someone who used to have so much fun here when he was younger, Shigeo couldn't help but feel a bit dishearten at seeing this familiar place nearly empty of life. There were absolutely no children that could be seen playing within the entire park despite it being the perfect hour to enjoy the wonders of the outdoor…

"I guess… It just doesn't feel right that there's only just the two of us here. It' would've been nice to see more kids playing around here."

"…. Hahahahahahahahahah!"

Startled by the sudden bust of laugher, Shigeo could only watch in wonder as Teru tighten his arms around his stomach in a fruitless attempt to hold in the unending rounds of laughter that was coming out of his mouth.

"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah! Unbelievable! To think that you- Hahahahahahahahahah!"

It was such a strange sight to behold, seeing him in such a vulnerable (and somewhat goofy) state of mind considering that Teru rarely allow others to view him in any other way then the perfect self-image that he himself projected on a daily basis.

Then again…

{ ** _Let's put that aside! We'll buy you some fancy clothes_** _!}_

The young esper shuddered upon recalling the events that led to purchase of that _shirt_ , " _It's really hard to tell what exactly he is thinking at times…"_

"Hahah...you're quite something, aren't you, Kageyama?" Slowly, Teru's laugher started to die out, his body once again began relaxing into a more comfortable position, "Here I thought that there was something actually bothering you…"

"Ah…sorry." Shigeo could almost feel his face flushed a bright shade of red in utter embarrassment over his friend's answer, "I didn't mean to make worry you like that."

"No, it was quite rude of me to do that. After all, it's hard to forget that you're just an ordinary person with your own set of everyday problems."

" _Ordinary…_ "

"So, to make it to up you, why don't we just enjoy this lovely scenery for a little awhile, hmmm?

Truth to be told, that would've been a nice way to spend the afternoon with his friend. Even when he was hanging out with his friends, Shigeo always did appreciate those small moments where they could simply relax, lay back and enjoy the quiet atmosphere that surround them.

Old habits did die hard after all. But…

Teru turned and face Shigeo, offering another of his bright smiles, although this one felt a bit less genuine compared to the ones he had shown earlier,

"Hanazawu… why did you call me out here? Is there something that you want to ask me?"

While Hanazawu Teruki was never really someone that Shigeo could easily understand, he knew his friend well enough to tell that this simply wasn't Teru's style.

"Heh, always straight to the point, huh?"

He paused as he straightened himself properly upon his seat, his eyes quickly looked upward toward the blue sky as if to avoid his companion's heavy (if unintentional) stare.

"…"

For a moment, there was nothing but utter silence between the two boys as one waited patiently for the other to quietly gather his thoughts and speak on whatever was on his mind.

Eventually Teru did spoke, although this time, his voice took on a much quieter tone compared to his usually confident way of talking,

"Yeah, you're right. The reason I ask you if we could meet up after school today was, well, I need to ask you a favour today."

"Hmmm?"

"It's a simple favour, really." Again, Teru paused as he took a deep breath, almost as if he was ashamed of what he was about to ask, "I need your help."

"Oh. Okay … so, what's the problem then?"

Teru couldn't help but blinked, almost taken aback by Shigeo's modest response. Slowly, a small laugh of relieve escaped from his lips, although it was unclear if he once again laughing at his companion's good nature or at his own silly doubts,

"Heheheh, I had a feeling that you were going to say that… Well then, where shall we start?

"…"

"Well keep this short, a few weeks ago, I realize that there was another esper attending my school, and after a few encounters with her-"

" _Oh. It's a girl."_

"-I've become confident that she's definitely someone who could use some help with developing her powers."

 _"_ …"

"So, all I need you to do, Kageyama, is go to my school, talk with her and simply persuade her to join me with the rest of group from the awaken lab during our training sessions. A piece of cake, right?

"I see…" Shigeo lift his eyes towards the bright blue sky as his mind processed his friend's odd request.

A mixture of feelings swelled inside him, unsure if he should've felt honored that he was being trusted with such a personal request or worried that he was about to take on something that was beyond his capabilities…

Still, there did remain one thing that remained unclear about the whole ordeal…

"Hanazawu, why do you need me to be the one to do it? Can't you do it?"

"Ah. That. Well to be honest, we're not on good speaking terms right now, so it'll probably be for the best if I avoid meeting her until then."

"She doesn't like you?"

"Well the last time we spoke, to put it bluntly, she said to me, "You're quite annoying, you know that? So fuck off and die already.""

"…Oh."

[ ** _Mob's Explosion Meter: 5%]_**


	2. 2 Errand Boy

**Well, aren't this a lovely surprise?**

 **Please Enjoy**

* * *

"Hey, wait a minute, hasn't we seen that kid before?"

"You mean- _oh_ , umm, lets keep walking."

Fortunately (or unfortunately) for Shigeo, after enduring a lackluster day of boorish lectures and note taking, his teacher has graciously decided to allow his students to leave their last period class an hour earlier then expect due to an unexpected doctor appointment that had came up for the man that morning.

So, with this newfound freedom, it gave the young teen just enough time to make his way from his school towards the district where the Black Vinegar middle school stood before everyone could leave and head home that afternoon.

To his relief, when he had arrived at the school, despite the large crowds of eager students beginning to exit out of the large building, no one bother to question why a third year Salt middle schooler was doing on "enemy turf".

[ ** _It's nothing personal, Kageyama, just a matter of pride for these people._** _}_

" _I never did manage to ask Hanazawu what he meant by that…"_

He never really did understand the bizarre rivalry that existed between his and Teru's schools. As long he could recall, it simply "existed." It all seems, well rather _pointless_ in his opinion, it was something that really shouldn't even exist by this point.

"I swear that I- Oh. **_Oh shit_** _,_ aren't that-"

Beside the bright purple uniforms that contrasted against his own plain black clothing, there wasn't much that help differentiate Black Vinegar students from his own classmates from what Shigeo could see he tried to make his way around the school's grounds without drawing too much attention to himself.

Everyone that was outside was doing whatever a normal teen would do upon finishing classes; talking with their friends, playing some mobile games on their phones as they waited for their buses to arrive , or heading out to relax at the nearby plaza that offered some form of privacy from their lurking teachers' watchful stares .

 _"_ _I just don't get it…Maybe it's because of the teachers here? …no that wouldn't make much sense, would it?'_

"Oh, dear god _,_ what on earth did we do this time _?_ We're so dead-"

"For the love of god, shut up before you get both of our asses beaten, dumbass."

" _Or perhaps- no, never mind that. I really shouldn't waste any more time on that…._ Ah, excuse me!"

Almost immediately, the two teens that Shigeo called out froze. Slowly, both turned around to face the much smaller boy, a tight-lipped smile was pasted all over their sweaty faces,

[ **For the sake of clarity, A brief introduction is in order.]**

 **[The boy with the short buzzed black haircut that stood on Shigeo's left is named Akira. The one on the right that was missing his school's blazer is name Hiro.]**

 **[Please do remember that now.]**

 **[** **As of this moment, both were in the mist of having a nervous breakdown over the small fact that the most feared delinquent throughout Spice City (who also once utterly demolished their gang's leader) was standing right in front of them.]**

"A-ah, good day, sir! Is there something we can do for you?"

" _Sir?"_ Umm, yes, sorry for bothering you, but I'm looking for someone who-"

"I-if you're looking for the boss, Ginshi is probably still inside on the second floor in room 118b. He's always in charge of cleaning up the classroom on every Tuesdays when school is over. He's kind of a clean freak, so there's absolutely no way that he wouldn't there right now. If you hurry now, you probably can wrap things up in a timely and clean manner with no witnesses to get in your way, eh?"

"…What?"

Shigeo blinked, his mind completely bewildered over the answer that the taller boy of the duo had given, for he had spoken so fast, it almost felt like as if he was being hit by a rapid fired machine gun, "I-"

"Of course, if you need some help finding your way there, me and Akira here are more then happy to show you the way there, good sir."

"…oh. Thank you but…but who's Ginshi?"

"Well, Ginshi is the-w-wait a minute, you're…not looking for Ginshi?"

"No, I'm looking for someone else."

"Oh."

"T-that's, that's good to hear!" The other boy (" _Akira, his friend called him Akira.")_ said a little loudly, a look of relief washed over his freckled face, almost as if a heavy burden had been removed from his shoulders,

"For a moment we thought that- ah, never mind that part, that was our bad. Sometimes Hiro can be a dumbass and speak without thinking about he's even saying."

"…"

"So, who did you say that you were looking for again?"

"It's-" He paused. For a frightening moment, he was certain he had completely forgotten it. Fortunately, it wasn't a hard or long name to remember, so it didn't him very long to recall the name that Teru had gave him the day before,

"Moryria, I'm looking for a girl named Moryria."

"Oh. You mean _Aya_?"

Almost immediately, the quiet atmosphere changed the moment Shigeo had spoke the girl's name. It was rather quick, but he could have sworn that he saw the two boys exchanged a forbidding look with one another before Akira responded,

"Well, if you're looking for…Aya, then you'll probably find her over at our schools' tennis court if she hasn't gone home already."

"Yeah, she shouldn't be that hard to find, she's a complete _eyesore_ for anyone to see."

"Ah, thank you."

"Yeah, well good _luck_."

Without uttering another single word, the two teens quickly took their leave.

 _"…_ _How strange."_

[ ** _Mob's Explosion Meter: 15%]_**

* * *

At first glance, she didn't look like anyone special.

She wore the same school uniform with the familiar purple blazer alongside a grey skirt that marked every Black Vinegar female student. No unique piece of clothing or style could be seen that offered any visible hints towards her own unique personality.

Aya was sitting at the very edge of the court, laying her back against one of the old rusted fences that covered the small area. From what Shigeo could see, she was calmly reading through the context of a large book that she held firmly within her hands.

A perfectly normal activity for any average student to do on a bright warm sunny day.

Besides that, the only thing that truly marked Aya as different compared to everyone else that he seen throughout the school was her bright long silverfish white hair, _quite an unusual trait for any normal Japanese middle schooler to have._

" _Did she dye it?"_ Shigeo wondered. He was only standing a few feet away from her, just the appropriate distance that avoided placing him in an awkward position. _"I don't think I have ever seen someone blench their hair to such an extant like that…_

 _{Actually, didn't Tsubomi once try dying her hair completely blue?"}_

He shook his head as his mind attempted to erases those useless thoughts and focus on the task on hand. There really was no point in speculating about this little detail as it wasn't really in his nature to pry into other people's personal lives.

…Besides, in comparison to the bizarre nature that was Teru's hairstyle, blenching one's hair hardly seem that odd thing to begin with.

" _Now then… what should I do?'_

That was question, wasn't it? The only reason he was even here in the first place was to simply ask the girl to join Teru's growing group of espers' trainees. Nothing less, nothing more…

…But that was easier said then done…

" _I can't just go up to her and ask her out of the blue just like that, that'll be just be rude… I could try talking to her for awhile just like how Teacher always does when he trying to calm down a client or-"_

He frowned, " _Or do I even have the right person?"_

His eyes slowly looked around, just double checking to make sure that he hadn't overlook anyone in his search. Beside him and her, there was only two other students playing what appeared to be an intense game of tennis on the other far side of the court. Both were male.

 _"_ _Then I should have the right person, there no-one else here that could possibly be her_ …"

 _"_ _Well, I guess I'll just need to ask her."_

With that happy thought, Shigeo slowly moved closer towards where the girl sat until he stood only a few mere inches away from her. He stood over her, his shadow blocking the sunlight from reaching her book,

"Oh. excuse me…"

"…"

"Ummm-" He hesitated, unsure if he should wait for her to at least offer some form of a response before continuing.

She however didn't answer him. In fact, it seems like the white-haired girl hadn't even hear him speak in the first place …

After a few brief seconds of debating with himself, taking in a deep nervous breath, Shigeo spoke again, this time in a much louder tone, "Umm, excuse me, but are you Aya Moryria?"

Again, Aya didn't respond, instead she simply maintained her gaze downwards upon the thick pages of her book, never once bothering to look up or acknowledge the poor boy's presence.

 _"…"_

It was clear by this point; the girl was simply ignoring him.

"Oh, well, I'm…"

He wanted to say something else, but he couldn't finish his sentence. His body was already beginning to freeze up as a familiar sense of discomfort was creeping upon him. Even his ears were starting to ring a bit over his growing anxiety with the rather awkward situation he found himself in, something that he had wished to avoid from the very start…

"…I'm sorry for bothering you." He finally muttered before leaving, his face already red from embarrassment. Soon, he quickly made his way towards the exit of the outdoor court,

" _Now why I do that for?"_ The young teen thought dejectedly as his legs took him further and further away from the tennis court, _"If even it wasn't her, I shouldn't have panic like that."_

He sighed, _"Now what? Should I go back and try talking with her again or-"_

 _"_ Now that was quite an embarrassing performance _,_ wouldn't you say _,_ Kageyama?"

At once, Shigeo stopped right in his tracks and quickly turned around to find the source of the unexpected voice…only to be face to face with an old familiar friend.

"Han-

"To fair, I can't blame you for how things went." Teru gave off a small chuckle, giving his friend a firm yet friendly pat on the back, "Like I said, Aya isn't the easiest person to get along with."

"Y-you saw all that?"

"Well, duh." The blond-haired teen smiled, amused by his friend' confusion over his mere presence, "What kind of buddy would I be if I just left you all alone in a den full of lions?'

"…eh?"

"It's just a metaphor." With a slight gesture of his hand, Teru started walking ahead of his rather perplexed friend, 'Well come now, there's no point in sticking around here, is there?"

"…"

"What's wrong? Aren't you coming?"

"Hanazawu, I thought-" He paused placing his hand to cover his left ear in a fruitlessly effort to deal with the increasing buzzing noise coming from his head, ( _"It's really beginning to hurt_.")

"Oh, come on." Teru remarked in a playful tone, placing both of his hands at the back of his head, "Don't tell me that you're actually mad at me for wanting to check how things were going?"

 _"_ _Mad? Why would I be mad?"_ The boy wondered to himself, puzzled by his friend's strange choice of words.

Of course, he wasn't upset. No matter what may happen, Shigeo was never the type to hold petty grudges against his friends over such insignificant actions. Things like that were just a waste of time.

No, what he did felt was a sense of deep disappointment and shame. He had promise Teru that he would help him with this rather tricky dilemma that his friend had gotten himself into, as a small gesture to repaid him for all kindness that he had shown to Shigeo since the incident regarding his younger brother.

Instead, not even five minutes passing, he had completely bailed out of the whole situation, not even getting a single word to come out of the girl's mouth…

"It's understandable if you were, don't get me wrong. I would be pretty upset with myself too if I had screw up in such a spectacular manner."

"Wha- No, no. I'm not upset with you, I'm just…surprise, that's all."

"Good." With that said, he began walking once more, this time however, Shigeo wasted no time catching up in pace to his companion,

"That's good to hear, it really does no one good by getting upset over the pettiest things, wouldn't you agree, Kageyama? It's just a waste of everyone's time."

"Y-yeah."

"Exactly! Sometimes, _you just gotta try reading the atmosphere_ , _eh_ _ **?"**_

 ** _[Mob's Explosion Meter: 22%]_**

"Wha-?"

 ** _THUMP_**

The boy blinked, for a moment, he couldn't even think straight, his face was throbbing with pain…

It took him a few seconds to realise that he had fallen face flat upon the ground,

{On the plus side, the awful ringing noises that had relentless bothering him had finally stopped.]

" _W-what just happen? Where did Hanazau-?_

"Now, aren't that quite embarrassing?"

Confused, the boy twisted his head to his right to only find himself staring at a familiar white-haired girl.

 _"_ To think that you actually would walk straight into the fence." Aya muttered, "That wasn't bright of you, was it?"

She was still sitting in the exact same place that Shigeo had found her, not bothering to pry her eyes away from the book with the strange orange cover. The only difference now was the fact this time, he wasn't even on his feet,

 _"_ _Am I- am I back at the tennis court? But I thought-"_

"Then again, you can't really expect much from an errand boy, can you?"

She closed her book, before finally turning to face to him. The sharp eyes that stared back at him were a startlingly blue.

"…Still, I wonder how many times I'll say this before it gets through that thick skull of his…

"So, the next time he calls for you, do me a favour." Then, for the first time since they met, a faint (if eerie) smile flickered across her face, "Tell Hanazawu to stop being an annoying prick for once, leave me the hell alone and just go die in a hole by his lonesome self, hmmm?

With that said, she simply stood and left, leaving the poor boy to figure out what exactly had just happened.

 ** _[Mob's Explosion Meter: 30%]_**

* * *

 **Thank you all for reading! It was quite a pleasure writing up this chapter and its' characters (:**

 **Please don't feel hesitate to ask any questions regarding the story or point out any grammatical errors I may have made.**

 **Until next time, have a wonderful day.**


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